The Favor
by katmd
Summary: Severus agrees to do Hermione a favor and soon finds himself a bit trapped. Some fluff in ten parts.
1. Part One

Disclaimer:  The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine.  I just play with them.

**Part One**

Sitting at his desk, Severus tried to ignore the sweat beading at his hairline. The dungeons always became terribly stuffy towards the middle of June, and he was yet to cast a cooling charm strong enough to keep the temperature bearable. 

It was difficult to concentrate on the essays he was grading, and he positively refused to give his students a break by grading papers while he was distracted. Dropping his quill, he sat back in his seat and unbuttoned the collar of his robes. 

In a week, the students would leave for the summer and he would adopt more reasonable attire. He never wore robes during the summer, save when he had to go out into public, but for those occasions he had a lovely set that was very lightweight and perfect for a quick outing. Sadly, they did not swish as well as his school robes, and for the sake of his students, he never donned his summer robes in their presence. It would not do for his swish and stalk to lose its emphasis simply because he could not handle the heat. 

However, it was late Friday afternoon and the chances of a student showing up in his offices were slim to none. If any student did decide to come down to see him, it would be, more than likely, a Slytherin. Students of his own house would know better than to spread the word that he sometimes liked to relax and dress accordingly. Therefore, Severus decided to take a risk. 

Standing, he unbuttoned the rest of the tiny fastenings that secured the heavy cloak, and discarded it. Tossing it on top of one of the chairs before his desk, Severus sat back down. He noticed the difference immediately. He was so pleased to no longer be sweltering that he barely noticed the faint knocking on his door. 

The person on the other side of his door knocked twice and then ceased. Severus stared at the door for a few moments before the person knocked again. "Come in!" he called. He looked back down at his desk; it was best to look busy when someone bothered him. 

The door opened very slowly a moment later. "Professor," a feminine voice began, "I'm sorry to disturb you, but…" 

Severus looked up and was surprised to see who was standing before him. He kept his expression one of annoyance, though he was astounded to discover he was quite pleased to see her. "Yes, Miss Granger?" he asked. "What can I do for you this afternoon?" 

"Well," she said as she fidgeted. Severus had never seen her so nervous in all his life. In fact, he did not think Hermione 'Embodiment of Confidence' Granger was even capable of feeling nervous. These shaking hands were something completely new to him. "It's rather complicated." 

"Then I suggest you have a seat," he said, gesturing to the empty chair before his desk. This display of nerves seemed to reduce her to a childlike state. She had left the school almost seven years before, and when she had returned five years later, Severus decided that he had never seen such a dramatic change in a person. She had matured in almost every possible aspect. 

She stepped into his office and sat down in the seat. "I, uh…" she paused to gulp. Severus narrowed his eyes. This could not be good if it was causing her to make fish noises. "I was wondering if you would do me a favor, Severus." 

"What kind of favor, Professor?" he asked suspiciously. 

"Well, you see, my friend is getting married next weekend. And I sort of told her that I have a boyfriend. A very serious boyfriend. One I would take everywhere, to be more precise." 

"That is wonderful, Miss Granger, but how does this affect me exactly?" 

"Well," she began, looking away from him. "I also sort of told her that bringing him 'everywhere' would include bringing him to the wedding." 

"And as he doesn't exist you want my assistance in finding you a date, is that it?" Severus frowned. It was worse than he'd thought. "I am afraid my address book lacks the type of men you would probably want to bring to such a function." 

"I wasn't…I mean, that's not…" she stopped to sigh and meet his gaze. "Severus, will you accompany me to my friend's wedding?" 

He was quite thankful his jaw did not drop. "Pardon?" It was much worse than he'd thought. 

"Severus, I have very few male friends I would parade around as my boyfriend. It's just for one evening, and though I know you have a very demanding social life, I thought that perhaps you could give up one exhilarating night of reading by the fire with a glass of firewhiskey to help a friend." 

"When exactly did we become friends, Miss Granger?" he asked, knowing that it would annoy her and at least buy him some time to decide on a course of action. 

"Severus, do you have to be so obtuse?" She rolled her eyes, but he most certainly did not miss the little half smile she displayed. 

He smirked. "Yes." 

She sighed. "So will you help me?" 

"Professor Granger, nothing would give me more pleasure than spending an evening with you at some terribly boring social function." He paused to give her one of his more evil grins. "You do know that you'll owe me." 

She simply smiled back. "I counted on it, actually." 

All of this smiling demanded a change of subject. "So who is the happy bride to be? Miss Weasley? Or another former student I will be simply overjoyed to see?" 

"You don't know her, Severus. She's a family friend. We've known each other since we were quite young." 

Severus frowned. If she had known her for that long, then it was highly unlikely that he would know anyone at the wedding. This, he imagined, was rather beneficial for him. "Are you trying to say that you are taking me to a muggle wedding, Miss Granger?" 

It was her turn to smirk. "Why yes, Professor. I am." 

Sneering, Severus stood from his seat to indicate their little meeting had ended. "Fantastic, Miss Granger. I look forward to it." 

She stood from her seat and walked to the door. "Oh Severus," she said as she opened it. "I do hope you'll call me Hermione on our date. I imagine people might become suspicious if you address me so formally." She turned slightly to smile at him. "Good evening." 

"Good evening," he replied. She stood in the doorway and watched him expectantly. Sighing, he decided to give in. "Hermione," he added with a frown. Grinning brilliantly, she left him alone in his office. 

Severus sat back down and directed his attention to the essays before him. "Hermione," he whispered softly, deducting ten points from the paper he was marking for poor grammar. 


	2. Part Two

Disclaimer:  The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine.  I just play with them.

**Part Two**

When Hermione burst into his classroom on Monday afternoon, Severus was anything but pleased to see her. Having just handed out exams to his easily-distracted second years, he knew that her disturbance would make the next couple of hours a painful experience. 

He did admit that it was quite amusing watching Hermione's expression turn from one of determination to horror as she realized she had stormed in on an exam. 

"Professor Granger," Severus said icily. "How may I help you?" 

"You have a class," she replied simply. 

Gritting his teeth, he attempted to remember that she was no longer his student and that roaring at her might affect her credibility. "If you need me, perhaps we should discuss it outside?" He gestured to the door. Hermione nodded in reply and walked back out into the corridor. 

"If any of you as much as think of cheating, you will pay dearly," he warned as he swept out of the classroom and into the hallway. 

He noticed, as he closed the door behind him, that Hermione once again looked nervous. "Is anything wrong, Professor?" he asked and noted his tone was decidedly gentler than it had been a few moments before. 

Hermione seemed to study his face a moment before responding. "Well, maybe." 

"Maybe?" He was not exactly in the mood for dancing around the matter. "Please explain, Miss Granger." 

"Well," she began and directed her gaze towards the floor. Was he mistaken or did he see a faint blush coloring her cheeks? "I know it will seem silly coming from me, the girl who could care less about appearance, but I am afraid you don't have the proper attire for a muggle wedding." 

Severus stared at her for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she was serious. "And for _that_ you burst into my classroom during an exam period?" 

She continued to look down at the ground and her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red. "Yes," she whispered. 

"Lovely," he sighed. He wasn't sure, though, if he was responding to her or to the fact that he suddenly felt like he was chastising a pupil. 

She looked up and again stared at him before finally speaking. "I didn't think you had class now. I'm sorry," she paused to take a deep breath. "You need a sports coat, Severus," she said, and her voice hardened with resolve. "I know you have plenty of nice clothes to wear, but you need a sports coat for this. Oh and a tie." 

"I will not voluntarily wear a noose. I don't know why muggles believe they make one more attractive but I have no interest—" 

He was cut off in his tirade by Hermione stepping forward and placing a hand on his arm. "Please, Severus," she said, quite softly, in a voice that made him feel exceptionally guilty for giving her a hard time. "I know you are the one doing me the favor, but I would appreciate you being as cooperative as possible." 

Severus looked at her for a moment, and thought about what she had said. He was doing her the favor, not the other way around. She at least knew that making demands about his dress was a bit rich, considering the situation, but at the same time he understood the predicament she was in. He certainly could not turn up to a muggle event dressed as a wizard. It would cause quite the stir, and he had the feeling that she was going to try to keep a low profile at this affair. He cleared his throat and offered her the smirk and grimace he liked to call a smile. "I am at your mercy, Miss Granger. But please, nothing too terribly outlandish." 

She grinned up at him. "You cannot think that I would go shopping for clothes for you to wear without you at my side?" She laughed; he thought it was a lovely sound. 

"I hoped you would, yes," he replied, noting that she still hadn't removed her hand from his arm. 

She laughed again and squeezed his arm in a gentle way that he found to be, well, quite nice. "Meet me by the front entrance after dinner." 

Severus watched as she quickly set off down the corridor and made her way out of the dungeons. He had no idea why he was quite suddenly looking forward to going shopping.   
  
  
  
Severus took his time at supper. He glared at the usual students, made the usual grunts in response to efforts by his co-workers to speak to him, but instead of shoveling his food down his throat and sweeping out of the great hall as soon as possible, he ate his meal slowly, using this time to sneak glances at Hermione and analyze his sudden affection for shopping. 

She smiled too much, he decided after a few moments. And she doled out her adorable laughter with absolutely no discretion. She laughed at things Dumbledore told her, she laughed quite frequently during a story McGonagall animatedly told, and laughed, good-naturedly, when she dribbled wine onto her chin. 

He felt an intense dislike for the fact that every time she laughed or smiled or lightly placed her hand on Dumbledore's arm, he suffered from two very unwelcome feelings. The first being an intense desire to touch her. He would have given anything at those moments just to cover her hand with his own. It was disgusting that he could let a woman have such an effect on him. The second feeling, which he imagined was somewhat related to the first, was jealousy. He wanted her to bestow the gifts of her smile, laughter, and conversation on him. Why wasn't he deserving of these things? 

He had been staring at her for quite some time when she noticed him. She smiled at him and cocked an eyebrow. He sneered at her in response, and focused his attention back on his dinner. He really hoped the heat he felt on his cheeks was not visible to the world. 

"Severus," Dumbledore began jovially, a few seats down on his left. "Are you feeling quite well? You look a bit flushed." 

Raising his eyes, he glowered at the old man. "Yes, Headmaster. I am quite well, thank you." 

Dumbledore nodded and smiled at him. "I hear you and Professor Granger are visiting Hogsmeade this evening." 

"Yes," Severus replied through gritted teeth. 

"Oh Hogsmeade, Severus? What are you going shopping for?" McGonagall asked. 

"Potions supplies," Hermione responded quickly. Severus cast her a look that he hoped conveyed his gratitude. 

"How lovely. And what are you shopping for Hermione?" McGonagall asked, turning her attention to the young woman beside her. 

"I'm just going with Severus to look at supplies. I hear he has a very interesting method for selecting ingredients. I wanted to see him in action." she explained with a brilliant smile. Severus felt himself glow slightly at the idea that his methods for selecting ingredients could even be considered remotely interesting. He ignored the tiny voice in his head that pointed out she was simply spinning lies so that he didn't have to be embarrassed about their real reason for going to the village. 

"Do you have much interest in Potions, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked in what Severus considered to be a thinly veiled double entendre. After a brief discussion of the merits of the studies of potions, the conversation turned and Severus was glad to know that any risk of his having to be involved disappeared. 

Thirty minutes later, Hermione excused herself from the table. The other professors bid her a good evening, and Snape watched silently as she left the great hall. He supposed he would have to leave soon, too, but made no indication of it. Instead, he sat for a few moments, glaring at the table of Gryffindors. 

"You're not going to keep your lady friend waiting, are you Severus?" Dumbledore asked. 

He was displeased to feel his cheeks flushing again. "No, Headmaster, of course not. I was just leaving." He stood quickly from his seat, nearly knocking the chair backwards. "I hope you all have a pleasant evening," he said to his companions as he left the high table. He walked quickly through the great hall and swept out into the corridor. 

As he exited the great hall and made his way down the outside corridor, he could see a figure in the near distance standing beside the front entrance. "Professor," she said as he approached the entrance. 

"Miss Granger," he said in greeting. "I see you're ready for our little excursion." 

"Oh, I've been ready for awhile now, Professor," she said as she opened the large, wooden door. Together they stepped out into the night. "I am really looking forward to your display of supply selecting prowess," she added, giggling softly at her own joke. 

"Indeed," Severus replied, struggling to suppress his own smile.   
  
  
  
Upon entering Gladrags, Severus was suddenly frightened by the thought that their search may have to extend beyond Hogsmeade. A wizard village would be unlikely to carry muggle clothing. He had no interest in going into muggle London in a search for the perfect blazer and neckpiece. He would have to put his foot down about this matter immediately. 

When the tailor approached them, Severus discovered that Hermione's thoughts had been along the same lines. She immediately produced what looked to be magazine clippings of men in sports coats and ties. 

"Do you think you could make him something like this?" she asked, pointing to a navy blazer that Severus was inclined to admit would not look too bad, paired with his navy slacks. He imagined they would be able to find a nice tie to go with the outfit. Severus soon thought it was quite possible he would look decent dressed as a muggle. 

"Certainly!" the tailor responded. "Are you the young man who will be wearing the muggle clothes?" he asked, looking at Severus. 

Severus had not been called a young man for many years, and narrowed his eyes at the tailor in response to the appellation. "Yes, I am." 

"Excellent!" the tailor exclaimed, and snapping his fingers, set his tape measurers to getting Snape's measurements. They were done after a few moments, and the tape measurer and the tailor disappeared into a back room, leaving Severus and Hermione alone. 

Hermione had sat in one of the waiting chairs while he had been measured and he now sat down in the seat beside her. "I've always hated that," he said to her. 

"Why?" She did not look up from the catalog of ties she was inspecting. 

"It makes me feel so violated," he said honestly. "I was horrified when I first had robes made when I was a child. It measured everything." 

Hermione looked up at him and smiled. "Well, it's over now, darling," she said in a motherly tone. "The bad measuring tape isn't going to hurt you anymore." 

Severus simply sighed in response, and Hermione directed her attention back to the catalog. "Thank you," she said after a minute or two had passed. "For everything, Severus. You're a wonderful friend. I can't think of anyone who would do this for me or willingly put up with me for an entire evening." 

Severus stared at her. "Don't be silly, Miss Granger. I am sure plenty of men would accompany you as your date." 

He noticed the laugh she offered sounded pained. "It depends on what your idea of 'plenty' is, Severus." 

"Here we are!" the tailor exclaimed, announcing his return and distracting Severus from Hermione. "Up you get, sir. And shed that robe, we need to see if this fits as well as I think it will." 

Reluctantly, Severus stood and discarded his robe. He gave it to Hermione, who was holding her hands out to take it. Stepping forward, he took the blazer from the tailor and shrugged it on." 

"Oh, aren't you divine!" the tailor declared, clapping his hands. "What do you think, Miss? Will this do?" 

Severus, who had been staring at the tailor in fascination (as he had never met a man so enthusiastic about clothes), turned his attention to Hermione. She seemed to be appraising him, but as her eyes trailed up his body, Severus felt she was not doing so with disinterest. When her eyes met his, his suspicions were confirmed. She seemed to like what she saw. 

"He looks exquisite," she said, softly, and Severus felt his cheeks grow hot again. He did not think he had ever blushed this much in his entire life, let alone in one evening. 

"Thank you," he and the tailor said simultaneously, causing Hermione to laugh. 

"Have you selected a tie, Miss?" the tailor asked, walking over to where Hermione sat. 

"Yes," she said, pointing to one of the pictures in the catalog. 

"Wonderful choice!" he replied, turning to a rack behind him and pulling off a small square of cloth. They watched as he transfigured it to look like the tie in the picture. "Now do you want it the same color as his blazer?" 

"Actually, no," Hermione replied, producing a small piece of fabric from her pocket. "If you could match it to this, please." 

"Certainly," the tailor said, holding the tie up next to the cloth Hermione held. He muttered a charm and the tie immediately turned the exact shade of blue as the fabric in Hermione's hand. "How's that?" the tailor asked, looking up from his work to his customer. 

"Perfect, thank you," Hermione smiled at him. He handed her the tie and turned to Severus. 

"If you please, sir," he said to Severus, holding out his hand. Taking the hint, Severus took off the coat and handed it to him. The tailor took both the tie and the blazer to his counter and Severus followed as Hermione walked past him in the direction of the tailor. 

They stood in silence at the counter as the tailor placed the sports coat in a garment bag and the tie in a smaller bag. "Would you like me to put it on your account, Miss Granger?" he asked as he passed the two packages over the counter to them. 

"Please," she said, before Severus had an opportunity to protest. Before he knew it, she was pushing him out of the store and into the Hogsmeade streets. 

"Hermione," Severus said as they walked back towards Hogwarts, "I would gladly have paid for the clothing." 

She made a noise in response. Severus had a difficult time deciphering the meaning of her sounds, but did not push the matter. After a moment, he cleared his throat and tested the waters once again. "I had a nice evening," he said softly. 

He watched as Hermione stopped walking to look at him. Severus stopped too and peered back at her. She seemed to be searching his face for something. After a moment, she smiled up at him. Severus couldn't help but to smile back. 


	3. Part Three

Disclaimer:  The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine.  I just play with them.

**Part Three**

The wedding itself had gone well. Having never attended a muggle wedding, Severus found it to be an interesting process. He was surprised to see that many traditions from wizarding weddings had been incorporated into muggle weddings. He also found some of the purely muggle additions to be terribly amusing, and very nearly laughed out loud when the officiating muggle asked if anyone knew of any reason why the bride and groom should not be married. He thought it was a ridiculous request as they were obviously in love, and that this alone was more than enough reason for them to marry each other. Luckily he managed to turn his laughter into a cough before anyone, save Hermione, realized what was going on. 

Severus could not help but notice as he exited the church with Hermione that he was receiving many inspections. Everyone seemed to turn an appraising eye upon him. Some of the women, he was happy to see, seemed to look at him with an obvious interest. The men regarded him coolly, though, and he was fairly certain that their eyes tended to rest on Hermione for a bit longer than they did on him. He did not blame them. She looked absolutely stunning, and he was quite proud to be the man with whom she had decided she would like to spend an entire evening. 

After the wedding, Hermione had dragged him back to the ministry car they had borrowed in order to get to and from the blessed event. How Hermione had gotten a hold of the car, he was not quite sure. Her story had contained a long line of friends of friends who knew Ron Weasley, and after the fifth person, Severus had lost all interest in the method of procuring the car. They had sat in silence as Hermione drove to the reception's location which, Severus noticed, seemed to be a bit out of the way from the church. 

They stood now on the lawn of the muggle boarding house or 'hotel,' as Hermione had referred to it, at which the reception was being held. It was a nice sort of place, Severus thought. There was a lovely little pond at the end of the lawn and a nice little garden and plenty of pretty green foliage that made it seem like a quite charming place in the early evening. 

Severus looked down at the glass of whiskey in his hand. The muggle alcohol was a bit weaker than what he was used to, but he wasn't one to complain. As he was under strict instructions from Hermione to keep his mouth shut as often as possible, he had no interest in making any noise about the quality of the alcohol. Hermione had told him that she had no interest in him contradicting any of the stories she had fed her muggle friends and demanded that he say as little as possible. It had all seemed perfectly logical to him. Thus, he adopted the air of a truly devoted and tragically shy boyfriend. 

He had kept to her side throughout the evening, and had found it to be a fairly safe place to be. She made her rounds, holding his hand all the while. She would introduce him to various people and he would simply smile, saying "How do you do?" softly before Hermione started talking to them about so and so from this or that place who went to school with what's-his-name. They would go on for a few minutes, and Severus would grin idly at them, nursing his drink as he thought about the weather and other pressing matters. 

He had, in all honesty, passed worse evenings. 

Hermione had dragged him off to meet the bride's parents when he'd noticed an older man watching him carefully. The old man stared at Severus as he was dragged by Hermione across the lawn. Severus glared at him, but this did not seem to stop the man from staring. Severus was distracted from his admirer, though, by suddenly being presented to another older man. "This is my boyfriend Severus," Hermione said on his right. 

"Hello," the older man said, offering his hand to Severus. 

"Pleasure to meet you," he replied, giving the man a firm hand shake as he remembered that he was being presented to the father of the bride. "Your daughter looked beautiful. It was a wonderful service." 

"He's very handsome, Hermione," the man's wife said. Severus supposed she must think him to be hard of hearing to say such things when he was standing right next to her. Muggles were certainly very odd.

"Thank you, Mrs. Easterly," Hermione replied and smiled brilliantly. "That's why I keep him around. He's a wonderful accessory." 

The old man, who Severus imagined was called Mr. Easterly, laughed heartily at this. "So, Severus," he said, "what do you do for a living?" 

"I teach" he replied simply, and hoped that the man's response would not be to ask what subject he taught. 

"Ah, and what do you teach?" the old man asked. Severus nearly choked. 

"History?" Severus offered, hoping this man was no history buff and would suddenly want to discuss the specifics of some muggle war Severus would know nothing about. 

"Wonderful subject, wonderful subject. Do you and Hermione teach at the same school?" Mr. Easterly asked, and Severus got the distinct feeling he was being interviewed. 

"Yes," Hermione interjected, taking charge of the conversation. "It's how we met, actually. We were both in the teacher's lounge one afternoon. Severus was having a rough day and we got to talking about the brats we teach. Before we knew it, we were talking about absolutely everything for hours and hours." She paused here to look at him fondly, and Severus found himself amazed by her abilities as an actress. There was something in her eyes, though, that looked a bit like sincerity. He did his best to ignore it. 

"We've been madly in love ever since," Hermione concluded after a moment. 

Mrs. Easterly cooed and Mr. Easterly gave a fatherly chuckle of appreciation before saying, "Well, we better be off. Much socializing to do." They disappeared immediately, leaving Hermione and Severus alone for the first time since their silent drive over. 

"So," Hermione said, turning to look at him. He noticed there were still some traces of the fondness in her eyes. 

"Alone at last, Miss Granger?" Severus asked, averting his gaze from hers. 

She giggled and he felt her move closer to him. "Yes, at last." 

Severus looked back down at her and found she was still gazing up at him. It compelled him to open his mouth. He knew his next words were going to be very silly and very stupid. And he knew, without a doubt, that he would regret them for the rest of his life because they would hint at the magnitude of the feelings that were beginning to well up inside of him when she looked at him like_ that_. 

He was saved, however, by a voice booming on his immediate left. "John!" the voice bellowed, and Severus turned to see the old man who had been staring at him earlier standing beside him. "Is that Michael's John? All grown up now, I see! How are you?" he asked, clapping a large hand onto Severus's shoulder. 

"I'm sorry," Severus replied, casting him the glare he had perfected in seven years of teaching Neville Longbottom, "but you seem to have mistaken me for someone else." 

"No, no! You're John! Cousin Michael's oldest son! You've got his nose, you know…" 

Severus frowned. If there was anything he hated, it was people drawing attention to his nose. The nose seemed to get along with the business of being noticed quite nicely, even without their help. "I'm sorry. My name is Severus, and is most certainly not John." 

The old, drunken man looked up at Severus closely, narrowing his eyes and inspecting him for a few moments. "My goodness!" he exclaimed eventually. "You're not John!" He stared at Severus for a few more moments, looking rather confused before scurrying off. 

Once he was a reasonable distance away, Hermione erupted into laughter. Severus turned his head and glowered at her. "Thank you ever so much your assistance, Hermione." 

She attempted to calm her laughter, but failed. After a few moments, she was able to curb her giggles. Grinning up at him madly, she sighed. "Any time, darling." 

"Do you know that man?" Severus asked, deliberately ignoring her use of an endearment. He imagined it was all part of the show; he should call her sweetheart or something equally as disgusting. It struck him as odd, though, that she was keeping this up when there was no audience. 

"No," Hermione shook her head. "Though, I get the feeling I have met John before." 

"Have you?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow. "And do we look anything alike?" 

"Yes," Hermione smiled. "You do, actually." 

"Surprising. I was always of the impression that I had a reasonably unique appearance." Severus sighed and glanced down at his glass. There were approximately three sips left. He took one and heard Hermione squeal with joy beside him as he swallowed. 

"Elizabeth!" she exclaimed. Looking down at her he saw that she was embracing the beautiful young woman who had been standing at the altar earlier that day. He noticed now that there was much more material to her dress than he had previously thought. The puffy white skirt seemed to threaten to swallow both the bride and Hermione whole. 

"Hermione!" The bride, Elizabeth, exclaimed in response as she held her friend in her arms. "You look beautiful!" 

"I look beautiful?" Hermione laughed as she pulled out of the embrace. "Look at you! The blushing bride! You're a vision!" 

"A vision of what exactly?" Elizabeth asked, smiling. She suddenly glanced up at Severus, seemingly noticing him for the first time. "Hello," she said, holding her hand out to him. "I suppose you are the famous Severus Snape." 

"Er," Severus began, "Yes, that's me." He shook her hand quickly.

"I've heard so much about you," she said, grinning up at him. "All good things, of course." 

Severus looked quickly at Hermione and saw that her cheeks were slightly flushed and that she was avoiding his gaze. "Like what exactly?" he asked. 

"Oh, Hermione told me what a wonderful teacher you are. How you are positively terrifying in the classroom, and the sweetest, most amiable man outside of it. She told me about your wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor." She paused and smiled again. "All of the important things." 

"Ah," Severus said, nodding. "I am afraid she made me out to be far more interesting than I truly am." 

"Oh? That is too bad," Elizabeth replied. 

"Well," Hermione said, reaching out and grabbing Severus's glass out of his hand. "I will go get you another drink, Severus," she said hurriedly and scurried off towards the bar. 

"So when are you going to propose?" Elizabeth demanded once Hermione was a few feet away. 

Severus suddenly suffered a short coughing fit. "Excuse me?" 

"Severus, Hermione is positively consumed by her love for you. Did you know that she sends me three page letters, all of which contain two and a half pages of information about you? You're all she talks about, and all she thinks about, for that matter. I really doubt that she could bear to live without you. And from what I've seen today and what I have heard you have done for her, I am sure you couldn't live without her either." 

Severus narrowed his eyes at the small woman in white. "What have you seen?" 

"Oh," she said, smiling up at him with a knowing glint in her eyes. "I've seen that it is physically impossible for you to leave her side. I've seen the adoring smiles you've given her. I've seen the way you look at her when you two are alone. It's quite obvious how enamored you are, Severus. There's no need to deny it." 

Severus looked away from his companion and over to where Hermione was walking back from the bar with a refilled glass of whiskey. He thought she looked lovely as she ambled across the grass. 

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Elizabeth said softly. 

"Yes," Severus said, his eyes still on Hermione. "Incredibly beautiful." Hermione looked up as she walked towards him and smiled. Severus felt something awaken inside him as he smiled back. 


	4. Part Four

Disclaimer:  The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine.  I just play with them.

**Part Four**

Severus woke up terribly late on Sunday morning. It was the first Sunday of his summer break. Neither Miss Granger nor any of his other colleagues needed him to perform some ridiculous favor today, so he decided he would spend the day relaxing. 

His first plans were to begin brewing some of the suggested experimental potions on the list a friend from University had included in his last letter. This friend had studied charms, but had always shown an interest in all that Severus found to be intriguing. Severus supposed he was one of the few people who truly cared about him. 

But as Severus lay in his bed at a quarter 'til ten on this gray Sunday morning, he discovered he had no interest in moving. He was quite content to lie in bed, experimental potions be damned, and think about how he had spent his Saturday. 

When they had come back to the castle, Severus was startled when he realized that he was overcome with a desire to kiss Granger. He could not believe it when he had looked down at her, the moon shining overhead and lighting her face in a particularly charming way, that he suddenly desired nothing more than to bring his face closer to hers and claim her lips with his own. 

It was, firstly, wholly unprofessional. They were colleagues, for goodness' sake. He would never think of kissing Madam Hooch or McGonagall, even if they weren't three times Hermione's age and about as many times less attractive. Furthermore, she was a former student! Certainly nothing could induce him to harbor romantic feelings for a student, no matter how much she had matured. 

It did not matter that when she'd looked up at him, standing there in the moonlight, her eyes were shining with an emotion he would have placed somewhere between desire and adoration. And it was of little consequence that she'd whispered his name, and when she did, he forgot where he was and who he was. It was no matter that, for that moment, Hermione was the center of his universe. 

He had probably just been drunk. 

Or so he hoped. If he hadn't been, then the only explanation for his emotions would have been that they were real. And that would be horrific. 

Sighing, he rolled over in his bed and looked around his chamber. It was fairly large. Hermione wouldn't be put off if he had brought her back here. He knew it had a certain charm. It was full of bookshelves which, he imagined, would have certainly appealed to her. He always had a fire going. In the summer it was more for aesthetic purposes, though it did get rather drafty at night. His furniture was well made, even if there were few pieces. It was nothing to be ashamed of, anyway, and he was sure she lived in a similar situation. So, if she were ever to enter his chambers… 

Severus frowned and sat up in bed. He had no idea why he was thinking about such things nor did he know at what point in time Hermione Granger became such a fixture in his thoughts. 

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Severus sat there for a moment and tried to clear his mind of any thoughts related to Hermione. He had almost completed this task when someone knocked on his door. 

"Come in," Severus grumbled, not thinking he had been loud enough. The handle turned and the door opened, and Severus decided that he may have been louder than he thought. 

"Good morning, Severus," said Dumbledore as he entered the room. 

"Good morning, Headmaster," Severus replied, looking at the man who now stood just inside his doorway. He watched as the elderly man closed the door behind him and crossed the room to sit in one the chairs Severus had before the fire. 

"How are you this morning?" the headmaster asked, settling back in the chair and allowing his eyes to settle on the potions master. 

"I am fabulous, Headmaster," Severus sighed and sneered. "I had planned on spending a relaxing day of reading or beginning work on some experimental potions. I am going to assume, however, that your sudden appearance will set me to some mundane task that is neither of these things." 

"My, my, Severus," Dumbledore began, smiling brightly at him. "You are certainly becoming very perceptive in your old age." 

"It is rather rich being called old by someone four times my age," Severus replied quickly. 

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, continuing to smile with a flash of amusement in his eyes. "Well, I suppose I should give your mundane task now, yes?" 

"Yes," Severus nodded in agreement. 

"I have noticed, Severus, that I seem to be gaining a bit of weight. I need to you to research the chemical differences between regular lemon drops and the low fat version of the candy. I would like you to see what you can find in the library about these candies and report back to me sometime soon with your findings." 

Severus simply glared at the man. Dumbledore grinned back, of course, and this caused Severus to become angrier. "Of all the inane assignments in the world you had to pick the one that is the most ridiculous, the most wasteful…" 

"Severus," Dumbledore interrupted, holding up his hand to silence the ranting professor. "Just go to the library and look up some information for me, please. It's all I ask. Besides," Dumbledore paused to smile devilishly at him, "there's someone there whom you may like to see." 

Severus cocked an eyebrow and stared hard at the old man. He tried to read into his eyes and see if he could find some clue as to what was remaining unspoken, but it was useless. "Fine," Severus sighed. "Fine, I will look up the stupid information on your stupid lemon drops to satisfy your stupid curiosity." 

"It's not merely curiosity, my dear Severus!" Dumbledore exclaimed as he stood from his chair and moved rather swiftly to the door. "It's a question of my health and well being!" he added as he disappeared through the door, slamming it behind him. 

Severus groaned and laid back on his bed. Perhaps he would be able to finish the research quickly and then move on to his experimental potions. He did have to acknowledge there was some good to this endeavor, though. It could quite possibly distract him from Hermione Granger.   
  
  
  
Severus stood before the rows of books about muggles and stared. There were three books on muggle confections and all three looked to be rather old. Severus feared a low fat candy might be a more modern creation and was not confident that he would be able to find the answers to the Headmaster's query in any of these volumes. 

Nevertheless, Severus grabbed them all from the shelf and carried them over to the nearest table. He dropped them unceremoniously onto the table and fell into one of the chairs before it. With a heavy sigh, he pulled the book from the top of the pile and opened it to the index. 

He had just found 'lemon candies' when the sound of a throat being cleared distracted him. He looked up and saw that he was not alone at his table. In fact, just across from him sat a grinning Miss Granger. 

"Good morning, Severus," she said, continuing to smile idiotically at him. "If I had noticed you earlier I would have come and said hello sooner. I was very engrossed in my reading, though." 

Severus sneered at her. "Do not worry, Miss Granger. I was getting along quite nicely without your greeting." 

"Yes, well," Hermione began and Severus noticed that she was blushing. "I wouldn't want you to think I am rude…" 

"I already know that you're rude," Severus interjected. "I do believe I taught you once."

"Right," Hermione said softly, narrowing her eyes and the flush on her cheeks growing more prominent. "Well, I didn't want you thinking I was avoiding you, either." 

Severus sighed. "I could only be so lucky, Miss Granger." 

He was surprised to see her suddenly stand up and throw the book she had been holding onto the table. "Was I mistaken, Professor Snape, that something between us might have changed after last night?!" She exclaimed in what Severus thought to be a very angry tone. 

He felt himself blanche and for a moment feared something more might have happened than what he remembered. "We didn't sleep together did we?" he asked in his best classroom voice. 

"No, of course, not, but…" 

He sighed with relief and proceeded to interrupt her. "Then I see no reason why anything should change, Miss Granger. I did you one favor. One tiny, inconsequential favor. It is no longer Saturday, the wedding is over, and things may now go back, thank goodness, to the way they were." She stared at him for a moment. Severus supposed she was stung by his words and was trying to compose herself. 

"I saw the way you looked at me," she breathed and punctuated the sentence with a frown. 

Severus felt his eyes widen as images of the previous night suddenly danced through his mind. "I'm sorry?" 

She sighed and shifted her weight. "I talked to Elizabeth this morning." 

Severus raised an eyebrow at the abrupt change of subject. "How lovely for you, Miss Granger." 

"She told me about the conversation you two had," Hermione replied, continuing to scowl at him. 

"Really? Which conversation would that be? The one in which your darling friend explained that you seemed to have been lying about a relationship between the two us for quite some time? Or the one in which I pretended the assertions she made about us being madly in love were true in order to help keep up this lie you've created?" 

Hermione sighed again and Severus thought he saw tears in her eyes. "The one in which you said that I'm beautiful." She swiped angrily at one of her eyes and Severus realized that there _were_ tears in her eyes. "I'd like to cook you lunch in order to repay your kindness, Severus," she said hurriedly. 

Severus felt something inside him die as he watched the woman before him rubbing at her eyes, trying to hide from him that she was crying. He couldn't fight with her. He didn't want to fight with her, and he had no idea why he was. Well, apart from the fact that it was just the way he was: always cold, always cruel, always Severus. 

He sighed and averted his gaze from her. She was breaking his heart. "When, Hermione?" 

He heard the sharp intake of breath, but did not look up at her. "Tomorrow. You can come to my chambers around noon." 

"I look forward to it," he replied softly, staring at the tabletop. He listened and heard her walk away a few moments later. Sighing again, Severus turned back to his research and tried his best to ignore the feelings of excitement evoked by the thought of dining alone with Hermione. 

_Note: Thanks very much for all of the kind reviews. They are, as always, very much appreciated. **Lizzie Alice Dark**, you expressed some confusion over Hermione's situation--she is in fact a teacher; hence, Snape refers to her, on occasion, as Professor Granger. I 'm afraid she didn't return to Hogwarts years after graduating in order to receive remedial potions lessons (though that could be **quite** interesting). I hope to post more soon! Thanks for reading. _


	5. Part Five

Disclaimer:  The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine.  I just play with them.

**Part Five**

Severus awoke the next morning an hour or so later than he had on Sunday. Looking at the clock, he saw that he had approximately one hour to get ready before he had to make his way up to Hermione's chambers. 

He sat up in bed, and muttering a charm, opened the door to his wardrobe. Peering in from where he sat, Severus saw that he was faced with a dilemma. It was the summer and Hermione's chambers were a bit closer to the surface than his. Accordingly, they were more likely to be warm than they were to be cool and damp, especially if she was cooking. Thus, he probably had no need for robes. He could just wear a pair of slacks a nice shirt, but would that be too casual for this meeting? 

Severus sighed. It was all very confusing. 

He was slightly surprised to hear someone knocking at his door. He did not call for them to enter nor call to them and demand they leave. He chose, instead, to sit on his bed and stare at the door. It opened a few seconds later, anyway, and Dumbledore strolled into his room. 

"So Severus," Dumbledore began, closing the door behind him and walking over to the chair he had sat in the day before. "What did you and Professor Granger discuss yesterday?" 

Severus stared at the old man. He was impossible. "For your information, Headmaster," Snape began, "the only difference between the two types of lemon drops are the sugar content. The low fat candies use a sugar substitute." 

Dumbledore smiled at him. "When will you be seeing her again?" 

Severus frowned. "Today. For lunch." 

"And what will you wear?" Dumbledore asked, rising from his chair and walking over to the wardrobe. 

"I don't know," he replied honestly. 

"I see," Dumbledore said, selecting a black dress shirt and khaki trousers from the shelves. He turned and brought them over to Severus's bed, setting them beside the gawking potions master. "Here you are, Severus." 

"Thank you, Headmaster," Severus said automatically. "But do you think this may be too casual?" 

"Too casual for an informal luncheon in Hermione's private chambers?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. 

"No, of course, not," Severus acknowledged, sighing. "I think I am beginning to like her, Headmaster." He was as surprised to hear himself say this as he imagined Dumbledore was. 

"Finally admitting to it, then?" the headmaster asked softly. 

Severus narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean finally?" 

"It is amazing how the subconscious functions almost completely separately from the conscious mind. You should see the way you act around her, Severus. It is completely different from how you act around anyone else. In her presence, you exhibit all sorts of characteristics you wouldn't show in any other situation. It is astounding that she has such an effect on you, but you never notice." 

Severus stared at the man standing before him. "Are you quite finished?" 

"No," Dumbledore admitted and shook his head. "I must say good bye." 

Severus sighed. "Good bye, Headmaster." 

"Good bye, Severus," Dumbledore said cheerfully as he made his way towards the door. "Thank you for the information on the lemon drops and good luck with Miss Granger," he added as he opened the door and walked out of Severus's room. 

Snape got out of bed when the headmaster left. He pulled on the trousers that had been laid out, and then proceeded to put on the shirt. He found and put on a clean pair of socks, and then slipped on his shoes. Fully dressed, Severus began to pace around his room. 

Was the headmaster correct in his assertions? Had he been affected by Hermione Granger for longer than he had been aware? When had he first noticed that she was a woman? He supposed it had been the first night of her seventh year. It had been the beginning of the year Severus was quite certain would be his last. He was sure he had admired her beauty at least a few times in that year. It had been different, though. She had represented the kind of woman he had always hoped to find; she was the kind of woman he would never live to meet. 

He had lived, though. So had she. She had graduated from Hogwarts, and after continuing her education, had decided upon becoming a teacher, a far different career path than that of her two best friends. They had become aurors and married the first girls they fell in love with. Hermione had continued her education and apparently turned down two offers of marriage to continue her studies. She had returned to Hogwarts, years later, looking more beautiful and more like his ideal woman than she ever had before. 

When she had returned, he saw that she had matured in many ways. She had physically matured, of course, completely becoming the woman she was destined to be. She had also matured emotionally; Severus had particularly noticed that she no longer had to prove her intelligence to everyone she met. Gone was the overly enthusiastic know-it-all, replaced with an obviously intelligent woman who could share information without being condescending. Severus found that she was different from her childhood self, but still, in some ways, she was very much the same. 

Severus believed one noticeable difference had been her treatment of him. She had been defiant in his potions class. Answering every question to prove to him that she could, for, as he was later told, she thought he believed her to be incapable. She'd seemed to have little respect for him then, but now he could see that she had plenty. Now he could see that she had a better understanding of him. 

Sometimes he thought she might admire him, and maybe even like him. She thought of him as a friend, as was evident by her asking him to accompany her to the wedding. This he thought to be particularly odd. He did not have many friends at all, and the list of female ones was nearly nonexistent. But there she had been, standing before him and claiming to be his friend. His comrade. His ally. His companion. 

Why did she want to be any of these things? 

Sighing, Severus ran a hand across his forehead. He was terribly nervous. His nerves had not been active since he'd had regular meetings with Voldemort, and even then, they had not been this bad. With those meetings he knew what would happen and what was expected of him which reduced much of his fear. In this situation, he did not know what would occur and what he would have to do. Of course, his fear was greatly increased by this. 

He decided that he had not been _this_ nervous since Lucius had set him up with that woman years ago. Lucius had insisted upon having him meet with that woman after discovering the number of years Severus had spent without having any relations with a member of the opposite sex. It had been more years since his last encounter now, but it didn't matter. He was slowly but surely resigning himself to a life of celibacy. It would not be so bad with the memories he had. Especially those of Lucius's friend, whose name he forgot but whose mouth he would never. 

He smiled slightly at the memory and glanced at his clock. He had fifteen minutes to make it from his chambers in the dungeons to Hermione's on the fifth floor. He crossed the room, and entered his bathroom, setting to brushing his teeth and tried to remember where he might keep cologne. 


	6. Part Six

Disclaimer:  The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine.  I just play with them.

**Part Six**

Severus was surprised to find himself standing before Hermione Granger's door only ten minutes after he had checked his clock. He raised his hand hesitantly and knocked. 

A few moments later, a rather flustered Hermione stood before him with floury fingerprints streaking her face. "Severus!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "You're early." 

"My apologies, Miss Granger. I thought it would take me a bit longer to get here than it did." 

"Well," she began, standing back so he could enter her chambers. "Please come in." 

He did just that. He was surprised to see that her rooms looked very much like what he might expect them too. Three of the four walls were lined with book cases, books were stacked on the few end tables scattered throughout the room. There were books on top of the coffee table and stacks of books next to the hearth. The small circular table in the center of the room with its white linen tablecloth, candelabra, and place settings for two did seem a bit out of place, though. 

He heard her close the door behind him, and he turned, forgetting his observations, to look at her. He was surprised to see her peering at him nervously, but at the same time earnestly. "You have a very nice set up here, Hermione," Severus said and realized too late that he was murmuring it and staring down at her rather intensely. 

"Thank you," she said softly and, he noticed, gulped. 

He smiled as he raised his gaze from her eyes and looked at her forehead. She looked so adorable with the flour smudged there; he could imagine her pushing her hair out the way in impatience as she cooked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. "If you'd allow me, Miss Granger," he said, stepping forward. He grasped her chin with his free hand and wiping away the flour with the handkerchief. 

She gulped again and stepped backwards. "Thank you." 

Severus smiled and tucked his handkerchief back into his pocket. "You are welcome, of course." 

"Um," Hermione began, clearing her throat. "You could have a seat, if you like." She gestured towards the table and its chairs. Severus nodded and walking over to the table, took a seat. 

She sat on the other side of the table. "I want to thank you, first of all, for doing me that favor, Severus." she said as she poured him a glass of wine. 

"It was my pleasure, Miss Granger," he responded as he took a sip of the drink she had just poured. "I actually found it to be somewhat enjoyable." 

"Which part?" she asked as she ladled what appeared to be stew into a bowl and handed it to him. He took the dish and set it before himself, waiting for her to serve herself before beginning to eat. 

"Well, it was fairly interesting as a whole, Miss Granger," he replied, thanking her for the piece of bread she passed to him. "Did you bake this yourself?" 

She smiled wryly at him from across the table. "Obviously, Professor. I don't just go around smudging flour on my face in the hopes that some dashing man will come to lunch and wipe it off of me." 

Snape snorted and took a bite of the bread. It was very good. "Well done, Miss Granger. You have perfected the art of bread making." 

He noticed her blush. "Thank you," she said softly. "So, which part?" 

Severus raised an eyebrow, but silently scolded himself. He should have known better than to think that Hermione Granger would let a question lie without having it be answered to her satisfaction. "The ceremony was rather interesting," he confessed. 

"Oh," she paused to smirk, "I thought for sure you would have preferred the harassment by a drunken old man or lying to my best friend about my being beautiful." 

Severus frowned. "I did not lie about you being beautiful." 

"Oh," she said softly and looked down at her lunch. 

They ate in silence for a few more moments. Severus knew he should say something or anything to make the awkwardness of the situation dissipate, but he could think of nothing to say. "More wine?" she asked after a bit. 

"Please," Severus replied and thanked her after she poured more into his glass. He took a long sip. "The wine is very good, Miss Granger. It compliments the meal perfectly." 

"Thank you," she said again. "But do you always have to call me 'Miss Granger?'" she finished, angrily. 

"No, not always. I suppose I could call you Professor Granger, too." 

"Or you might even call me Hermione once or twice." 

"I believe I have, once or twice." 

"Well then!" Hermione exclaimed, and for a moment Severus thought she might be at a loss for words. "I'd like to be your friend, Severus." she said a few seconds later. 

Severus frowned. "You are my friend," he conceded grudgingly. 

He saw her smile and turn back to her food. He did the same, but he was not, by any means, smiling. They continued to eat their meal silently for a bit, each simply enjoying the fact that they were not dining alone. 

"Severus," she said after some minutes of silence. 

He looked up at her. "Yes?" 

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked quickly, ending her question with her cheeks becoming very obviously red. 

He nearly laughed. "No, of course not. Don't you think you might have noticed, in all the time you have spent here if a woman was slinking down to the dungeons to be with me?" 

Her blush deepened. "Yes," she admitted. "I suppose I would have." 

"And I am correct in assuming that you do not have a boyfriend?" he asked. 

"Well, obviously. If I did I wouldn't have needed you to come with me to the wedding." 

"Situations can change over the course of two days, Miss Granger." 

She sighed at the use of that address. "Indeed they can, Professor." She paused to gnaw on her bottom lip for a moment. "Do you want to get married?" 

He nearly choked on the bread he was eating. He managed to swallow it though, and follow it down with a bit of water before responding. "Are you proposing?" 

"No!" she exclaimed, her embarrassment once again made obvious by her reddening cheeks. "I was just curious if you had any desire to get married, if you met the right woman." 

Severus frowned. "Yes. If I met the right woman, I suppose I would marry her. But, I have given up on her existing." 

"Oh?" Hermione said, frowning. 

"Yes," Severus sighed. "Well, I imagine she exists. I have met plenty like her, but they all seem to be a bit too disgusted by me to ever consider getting to know me beyond a second date, let alone marry me." 

Hermione gave him a tiny, sad smile. "Do you want to have children?" 

Severus looked at her. "No, not really. I teach children. I spend enough time with children as it is." 

Hermione grinned at him. "I feel exactly the same way." 

"Do you want to get married, Miss Granger?" 

"Why Severus," she smiled, "I thought you'd never ask." 

He felt his eyes widen and his heart skip a beat, but it picked up its natural rhythm when she erupted into a fit of giggles at her own joke. "Oh," she said, once she had calmed herself. "You should have seen your face." 

"Yes, well, I am not sure how emotionally unbalanced you are, Hermione. Perhaps it was all part of your plan, luring me here and trapping me in a promise of marriage." 

She giggled again at his words. "Not today, Severus. But maybe next time." 

"Next time?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

She cleared her throat nervously, looking away from him. "I enjoy spending time with you. Is that a crime?" 

"No." he replied simply. 

"Do you enjoy spending time with me?" she asked, looking directly into his eyes. 

"Yes," he heard himself reply, and he knew it was an honest answer. 

"Good," she smiled. "Very good." 

"Am I your new partner in crime now? Will we be sneaking around the castle under an invisibility cloak and trying to look at books in the restricted section?" he teased. 

"Not necessarily," she said, smiling at him. "But I imagine I can figure out a few new ways for us to get into trouble." 

Severus wondered if it was the wine that was making her statement sound like innuendo. He looked down at his empty bowl and half eaten bread. He then glanced at the clock. They had somehow managed to pass an hour and a half of time eating and asking pointless questions. "Well," he said, pushing away from the table. "I imagine I'd better get back to the dungeons now." 

He stood from his seat, and Hermione did the same, frowning. "What's the rush? You've no classes, Severus. Stay for a cup of coffee. I made desert." 

Severus looked down at her. She was completely earnest in her efforts. She wanted to spend time with him. She truly wanted to be in his company. He couldn't believe it, but there she was, staring up at him in a way very similar to how she had the night of the wedding. 

"Severus," she said softly, stepping towards him. 

He felt his body tense up and blurted out the first excuse he could think of. "I have to get back, Hermione. I started a potion before I left. I can't leave it unattended much longer." 

"Oh," she said, faltering a bit. "Of course, I understand." She took another step closer, though, and he tensed even more. He felt her wrap her arms around him as she pulled his body close to hers. He had not noticed how short she was before this moment, but as she pressed herself against him, he could fully appreciate that she was a rather small witch. "Thank you, Severus. For everything," she said, her voice muffled against his shirt. 

"Er," he said, lifting a hand and patting her gently on the back. "You're welcome, Miss Granger." 

She released her grip on him, and he backed away from her slowly. "I'll see you at dinner?" she asked as he turned and went to the door. 

Severus turned back as he opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. He usually skipped meals during the summer, but it would provide him a suitable reason to socialize with her. "Yes," he nodded. "Yes, I will see you at dinner." And with that, he closed the door and left. 

_Note: Thanks for reading and thanks for reviewing. Next two will probably be posted late next week. _


	7. Part Seven

Disclaimer:  The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine.  I just play with them.

**Part Seven**

Severus walked into the library in the second week of July intent on finding a new potion to work on. In a few short weeks, he had gone through every potion on the list his friend had sent him. When he finished, he put them all into vials, boxed them up carefully, and owled them, along with short letter, to his friend. Now, he was in search of a new project to occupy the rest of his summer. 

Dumbledore, who had made his morning visits a habit, had strongly suggested he take a vacation, even if it were just for research purposes. Severus had emphatically refused the offer of time off. There was nowhere to travel that interested him. As he had explained to Dumbledore, any research that needed to be done could be in the castle's library, as had been done for countless years. 

Dumbledore had then insisted that he go home. Return to his family's manor for at least a week or so. He could visit his relatives, the cousins and aunts and uncles who often wrote to him requesting his company. Or his friends, Dumbledore had been sure that Severus had plenty of friends who would simply love to have him visit. 

Severus had been firm, though, and told the headmaster that he simply wanted to stay where he was. He was happy here. There was more than enough to distract him at Hogwarts. 

Severus had noticed that at meal times, Dumbledore would often give Hermione the same lectures. She would respond with similar answers. She acknowledged that the rest of the staff took holidays and that it was perfectly normal to leave the castle from time to time, but she had always argued that Hogwarts was her home now. She had no desire to leave it. 

Severus couldn't agree with her more. 

He walked quickly back to the potions wall of the restricted section, and almost jumped out of his skin when he saw a small woman slumped against the book case, a large book resting her lap. 

She was not dead or unconscious or any of the other conditions Severus had thought her to be in when he first came upon her. He saw, instead, that she was just reading attentively, and from her position and the way her eyelids kept slipping closed, she seemed to be quite exhausted. 

"How long have you been here Miss Granger?" he asked softly, hoping not to startle her. 

She was startled though, and nearly leapt to her feet at the sound of his voice. "Professor!" she exclaimed, and her voice had a sleepy quality to it. "I didn't hear you come in," she said as she struggled to her feet. Eventually, she made it and stood staring up at him. 

"If you had slept last night, I am sure you would have been a bit more alert." he replied, taking the book she held loosely in her arms. "What is this?" he asked, looking at the plain cover. 

When she did not answer, he looked up at her. There was the familiar blush coloring her cheeks. "Well," she said, looking him right in the eye with the air of defiance she had taken to adopting when she felt he was going to tease her. "If you must know, Severus, it is just a novel. A muggle one." 

"I see," Severus said, moving to open the cover when she grabbed it away from him. "Honestly, Hermione, if it's just a muggle novel, then there's no need to hide it from me!" 

She blushed again. "Well, it's not really the type of muggle novel you might expect me to read, Severus." 

He sneered. "Miss Granger, how do you know what I would expect you to read?" 

She shrugged. "Wouldn't you suspect me to be a great reader of the classics?" 

"Yes," he admitted, "I suppose I would." 

"Well, this is most certainly no classic." she replied, and moved to walk past him. He grabbed her arm as she did, and held her still. 

"What are you reading?" he asked simply, hoping a direct approach would deliver him answers. He knew he was teasing her and was deliberately harassing her about the book, but he was enjoying it. Something about her appealed to him when she was so flustered.

She smiled up at him, but he saw that her cheeks were still flushed. "Does it really matter?" 

"Well, it does now. You've piqued my interest." 

She sighed. "A romance novel, Severus," she said after a moment. "I am reading a romance novel." She pulled her arm from his grasp and continued to walk towards the library exit. 

"That wasn't so difficult, was it?" he called after her. She made no answer, and simply left the library quickly, leaving Severus quite alone.   
  
  
  
Severus entered the great hall that night for dinner a few minutes late. Almost everyone who was at the castle had already seated themselves at the head table. 

"Severus," Dumbledore called jovially as he approached the table. "I had nearly given you up for lost. I assumed you were reverting to your former habits and decided to skip the meal." 

"Yes, well," Severus mumbled as he took the only empty seat at the table next to the headmaster. 

"Well, eat up then," Dumbledore said, patting Severus on the back. Severus began to eat the meal that had appeared before him and noticed a few moments later that Hermione was nowhere to be seen. 

"Have you spoken with Professor Granger today, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, guessing at the younger man's thoughts. 

"Yes," Severus replied. "I saw her this morning in the library." 

"Indeed? Doing some research of her own, then?" Dumbledore asked. 

"No," Severus replied, smiling to himself. "She was doing a bit of reading for pleasure." 

"Oh, how lovely. I wonder if she's reading anything interesting. I would love to hear some of her recommendations." 

Severus snorted and took a bite of his food. He imagined, though, that Dumbledore might enjoy the novel Granger had been reading. It seemed like the romance genre was one that would suit the eccentric headmaster. 

"I'm terribly sorry for being late!" a female voice called out as its owner apparently rushed into the great hall. Severus looked up from his meal and saw a rather disheveled Hermione Granger hurrying towards the head table. "I was taking a nap and I had only planned on dozing, but I must have fallen into a deeper sleep, and..." 

Dumbledore held up a hand to silence her and with a wave of his wand conjured a chair next to Severus. "It is not a problem, Professor Granger. It is the summer after all. We tend to be a bit more relaxed regarding punctuality during this time of the year." 

She made no response and fell into the seat beside Severus. Immediately, food appeared before her. She made no movement to eat it, though. Instead she cleared her throat before turning her attentions to the professor beside her. "How are you, Severus?" she asked very softly. 

It was so quiet that Severus thought he may have imagined her saying it. Looking up, he saw her staring at him expectantly and decided that she had indeed asked him a question. "Fine thank you, Miss Granger. How are you? Did you get much reading done this afternoon?" he asked, sneering at her. 

"Yes, thank you." she replied, looking away from him and beginning to eat her dinner. "I did get some done." 

"And how is the book?" Severus asked. "Is the heroine an upstart and vibrant young woman who finds herself falling madly in love with the wrong kind of man, causing dramatics of all sorts to ensue?" 

Hermione did not blush, as he had expected. Instead she looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "How do you know so much about the genre, Professor?" she asked, grinning at him. 

He shrugged. "I've been teaching for a very long time, Miss Granger, and, accordingly, I've confiscated many books. Many of them were romance novels, and almost all of them were of the same plotline." 

"Well, Severus, you of all people should know that if the formula works, there is no need to adjust it." the headmaster interjected quickly. "Hermione, be a dear and pass me the potatoes." 

Hermione complied, after having a fit of giggles, and passed the potatoes to Dumbledore. "Have you made any new potions lately, Severus?" she asked after a moment. 

He had to hand it to her, she was doing her best to be his friend. As usual, she was voluntarily making conversation with him, even though she knew his response would most likely be some sort of gurgle or grunt. She always made an effort, though, and he found this to be most impressive. He had no idea why anyone would want so badly to be his friend. It seemed almost unnatural. 

He did not have to answer her, though, because a solitary owl swooped into the hall a moment after she asked. It flew over Hermione, dropped an envelope into her lap, and flew back out of the hall in a matter of seconds. 

"Well, that is odd!" the headmaster exclaimed on Snape's left. "Owl post at this time of day!" 

Hermione nodded in response and tore open the envelope. Severus watched as she skimmed the letter quickly, all color leaving her cheeks. "Well," she muttered softly, and stuffed the letter back into its envelope. 

"Anything the matter, Professor?" Dumbledore asked. 

"No, no. Just a small matter concerning Professor Snape and myself," she replied, steadily. Snape looked at her quickly and saw she was staring at him. "If you'd excuse me," she said, rising from her seat. Snape and the other occupants of the head table watched as she quickly exited the great hall. 

"Well, Severus," Dumbledore said once she'd gone. "Perhaps you'd better see what that's about." 

Severus nodded and stood from his seat. He walked quickly to the end of the great hall and exited out of the same doors as Hermione had. He did not see her anywhere, though. Not knowing where to look for her, Severus decided upon heading back to his chambers in the dungeons. If she needed him, he imagined that she could have no difficulty in seeking him out.   
  
  
  
Severus had been sitting in his chambers reading for a few hours when someone knocked on his door. He called to the person to enter, and was not surprised to see Hermione walk into his rooms. He was, however, a bit thrown by her appearance. She looked like she had been running for hours. Her breathing was labored, and her clothes and hair were in varying states of disarray. 

"Is anything the matter, Hermione?" Severus asked, standing from his seat and silently rebuking himself for allowing his voice to take such an alarmed tone. 

"Yes," she wailed, stepping towards him. "And no. Oh, Severus, my lies have gone too far!" 

He sighed, hoping he looked disinterested and that there was no real problems. He imagined it was quite plausible that Hermione was simply suffering from a flair of the dramatics. "What now? Are we getting married?" 

"Well no," Hermione said softly. "May I sit down?" 

"Of course," Severus responded, gesturing to the easy chair that sat across from his. He sat back down in his own chair and settled in. "So, what seems to be the problem?" 

"The letter is from Elizabeth. She and Michael would like us to come over for dinner this coming Friday." Hermione explained as, Severus noted, she stared intently at her lap. He tried to ignore that this explanation sounded terribly rehearsed, but seemed to fail at it.

"I see," he replied, trying not to sigh. "That is not so terrible, Miss Granger. You lead me to believe that the letter's content pertained to life or death matters." 

"I do apologize, Professor, but I was very fearful of your reaction to this news." 

"And why is that Miss Granger?" 

"Well," she scoffed, "for on thing, you seemed to make it quite clear when I invited you to lunch that you wanted nothing more to do with this ruse once the wedding had ended." 

Severus was quite taken aback that she had remembered this particular point of their conversation. "Miss Granger, that was almost a month ago!" 

"Will you please call me Hermione!" she yelled, finally looking up at him. Her eyes were glinting with her anger. 

"Certainly," Severus replied, stunned, for some reason, by her reaction.

She did not respond immediately and they sat in a rather tense silence for a few moments. Severus made the best of the fact that she was not speaking and stared at her, trying to figure out why, exactly, he found that when she was angry she was particularly attractive. 

Eventually she looked up at him and sighed softly. "So what do you propose I do about this Severus?" 

"I would respond, obviously. Tell them that we'll be there on Friday evening. And do let them know that I am allergic to strawberries." 

He saw that she was doing her best to hide her smile. "Strawberries?" 

"Yes," Severus replied, giving a dramatic sigh. "I break out into hives. It's rather dreadful." 

The smile finally escaped, and Hermione erupted into giggles. Severus did not hold back the grin he felt forming on his face. Instead he smiled at the woman before him, quite pleased with himself for making her laugh. 

"I could tell them we've broken up," Hermione offered once her laughter had subsided. 

"No!" Severus replied quickly and emphatically. He was as surprised by his enthusiasm as he saw Hermione was. "I mean…our alleged relationship seems to be fairly serious. It would be a bit odd for us to simply just break it off after so much time." 

"Well, that could be easily resolved, Severus. I could tell them that I was pressuring you into proposing, and you became frightened and left. Or something." Hermione replied, and once again he was amazed at her ability lie with such ease. 

"I suppose," he said, looking away from her and towards the fire. "Truthfully, though, Hermione, I have nothing better to do. And it is quite flattering, you know. No one has ever pretended that I am their boyfriend before," he paused and looked back at her.

Hermione merely giggled in response. "Yes, well…" she said after a few more moments of laughter. 

"Hermione, is there any particular reason why you must giggle all of the time?" 

"Is there any particular reason why you must be such a prat all of the time?" 

Severus smiled at her in a way he hoped was charming. "Of course, Professor. I do have a reputation to maintain." 

Hermione grinned back at him, but for once, did not laugh. "Well then Professor, I imagine I should leave you now so that you may brood or do something else equally as suitable to your reputation." 

"Indeed," Severus said standing from his chair as she did the same. He followed her over to the door and opened it for her. 

"I'll send along a reply then," Hermione said as she walked out into the corridor. 

"Yes, that seems to be a good idea," Severus replied, leaning against the door frame and looking down at her. 

"Good night then," Hermione said, taking a step towards him. Severus felt his body tense up again as her arms slid around his waist and she pulled herself against him. 

"Good night," Severus whispered, looking down at her head. Though he would never admit it aloud, it was quite nice having her huddled against him. He couldn't remember at all who the last person, before Hermione, was who had hugged him. 

"You're so tense, Severus," she said against his shirt, and he felt the hands on his back begin to rub up and down. 

He made no response, and felt his traitorous muscles relax as she continued to rub his back. His eyes slipped closed as she began to rub a bit harder, and he heard himself sigh softly. "Why are you so intent on being my friend?" he asked, not realizing he had said it aloud until it was too late to take it back. 

He felt her go rigid against his body and his eyes snapped open as she pulled away quickly. 

"Well," she said, her cheeks flushing, "I could use a friend, and I'm sure you could, too. Good night," she said, and turned quickly, speeding off down the hallway to the dungeons' exit. 

"Good night, Miss Granger," Severus said softly, watching her go before finally closing the door. Thinking of the pained emphasis she had placed onto the word friend, Severus retreated to his chair before the fire. 


	8. Part Eight

Disclaimer:  The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine.  I just play with them.

**Part Eight**

"Please stop fidgeting," Hermione said softly as she rang the doorbell to her friends' home. 

"Sorry," Severus whispered back and attempted to stop pulling at the cuffs of his sleeves every few seconds. He did not know why he was so nervous about this dinner, but he felt it was going to be a trial of sorts. That or he was feeling particularly guilty about the lies and deception surrounding his and Hermione's alleged relationship. 

Not that he had ever minded lies and deception before, but he supposed that one could obtain morals at any point in his or her life. 

Elizabeth opened the door a few seconds later. "Hello, hello, hello!" she said loudly, stepping forward and enveloping Hermione into a hug and then doing the same to Severus. 

"It is so lovely to see you both," Elizabeth continued as she grabbed Severus by the wrist, and after doing the same to Hermione, dragged them into her home. "Michael!" she called as she walked through the house, continuing to pull the pair behind her. 

Severus supposed her husband was called Michael, though he had never met the man. At the wedding he had not been given the opportunity to make the acquaintance, and as Hermione did not know Michael very well herself, there had been no real reason to seek him out. 

Severus noted as he was brought through the home of Michael and Elizabeth that it was very nice. He found the décor to be very much to his taste. It had the warm and comforting quality his childhood home had lacked and which he had tried to emphasize in every home he had occupied since. 

"Yes?" a voice called back from the room Severus found himself quickly being pulled towards. 

"Severus and Hermione are here," Elizabeth said as she walked into the room with her two friends, finally releasing their wrists. She left the room as quickly as she had entered it to attend, Severus imagined, to some other pressing matter. 

"Well, hello!" Michael said, taking a step forward from the table he had been standing beside to shake hands with both of them. 

"How do you do?" Severus asked as he shook the man's hand, and Hermione made a similar enquiry as Michael shook hers. 

"I'm so glad you two could make it," Michael said, beaming at them. Severus was astounded to meet such a bright and upbeat man. He could not remembering ever meeting anyone so amiable. Dumbledore was, to be certain, very pleasant, but Severus often attributed much of his happiness to senility. He imagined that one could not live to be so very old without coming to appreciate absolutely everything. 

"We are too," Hermione replied, smiling at the man before them. "Severus was very eager to meet you. He was very sad that he didn't get a chance to do so at the wedding." 

"Oh?" Michael asked, looking to Severus and clapping a hand on his shoulder. 

"I certainly did not want you to be offended by my lack of effort in making your acquaintance," Severus supplied quickly, finishing his sentence with a smile. He thought his behavior to be very odd. Severus was, as a general rule, never friendly and especially was not with strangers. But here he was, grinning at this friendly sandy-haired man as if he had known him all of his life. 

Michael chuckled in response. "Of course I wasn't offended, Severus. I could have made an effort myself! It is very difficult in that situation to get around and say hello to everyone. And I admit, I hardly remember who I spoke to at all that evening," he paused to grin mischievously at the couple before him, "I had been a bit liberal with the consumption of sedatives prior to the service." He winked at them before laughing once again. "Speaking of which, can I get either of you a drink? If I remember correctly, Hermione, you like a glass of red wine?" 

"Please," Hermione replied, smiling at him. 

"And what about you, Sev?" he asked. 

"A glass of wine would be fine," Severus replied and found himself amazed that he did not hex the man at the use of the despised abbreviation of his name. 

"Well," Elizabeth said as she re-entered the dining room as Michael left it to retrieve the drinks. "Dinner is served, my dears. So please have a seat." 

Severus watched as Elizabeth set the large platter she was carrying on to the table and then turned expectantly towards them. Hermione moved forward first, choosing a seat and leaving Severus no option but to settle himself in the chair beside her. 

Elizabeth sat in the seat across from him, leaving the one beside her for her husband. The three of them began passing the plates of food around, each serving themselves, and Elizabeth dishing out food for both herself and her husband. Michael reappeared a few moments later with drinks for everyone. 

"So, how have the pair of you been?" Elizabeth asked after everyone had settled down to their meals. 

Severus glanced quickly at Hermione who was smiling cheerfully at her friend. "We've been quite well, thank you. And you two?" 

Michael grinned at Hermione. "As well as can be expected, of course. Newlyweds are supposed to have it a bit rough, but we're adjusting as best we can." 

"It must be stressful," Severus heard Hermione say from beside him. 

"Did you two live together before you were married?" Severus asked, taking a sip of his drink. 

"No," Elizabeth replied. "Not officially, anyway." 

Both Hermione and Michael laughed at this and Severus felt himself smiling at her words. He was astounded that he could enjoy the company of these strangers so easily. It was odd that he was able to listen to the conversation and even join in without the usual consternation he suffered from such activities. He did not feel the need to plan his responses and wait for the perfect opportunity to speak as he usually did. He found, instead, he could speak to them with great ease, as if he were in the company of very old friends.

"Any plans to send out wedding invitations soon, Hermione?" Michael asked in a tone Severus thought to be impressively nonchalant. 

"No," Hermione replied and Severus saw the blush beginning to color her cheeks. "Not at the moment." 

"Good for you, Severus!" Michael exclaimed, grinning at him. "Good for you for standing your ground. I must say that I am impressed. By all accounts you seem to be wrapped around Hermione's finger. I thought for sure you'd have given in by now." 

"No," Severus shook his head and looked at Hermione was now beet red. He saw her peer up at him and he smiled at her. "She hasn't wheedled me quite enough. Give her a few more weeks, though, and I may be lost." 

"Lost?" Elizabeth said from across the table. 

"Yes," Severus replied, keeping his eyes on Hermione who, he saw, was keeping her eyes on him. "Completely lost to her." 

"Well," said Hermione, looking away from him after a few more moments of quiet contemplation. "Perhaps we can start a countdown then?" 

The married couple laughed at her words, and Severus found himself smiling too. She didn't think he was serious, but despite the fact that it frightened him to death, he was fairly sure that he was.   
  
  
  
The rest of the evening passed quickly and Severus soon found that he and Hermione had said good bye, and were walking down the street away from the couple's home. 

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Hermione asked once they were a few blocks away. 

"Not at all," Severus replied, honestly. "In fact, it was quite fun." 

Hermione did not respond immediately, and Severus looked down at her. She was staring at the ground as she walked, and seemed to be thinking. "You did very well," she said after a moment. "I'll admit that I was surprised, but you really did very well." 

"Thank you." he said softly. "I was very much at ease with them. And even though it's impossible, I don't think I would mind spending time with them in the future." 

Hermione stopped where she was upon hearing this, and Severus, not noticing until he was a few paces ahead, stopped too. 

"Is it?" Hermione asked, looking up at him earnestly. 

"Is what?" Severus asked. 

"Is it impossible?" she replied, taking a few steps toward him so that she stood directly before him. 

"Well," Severus began, "I did not really think we could keep up this lie for much longer, Hermione. I am bound to make a mistake somewhere along the line." 

"You were a spy long enough, Severus. You know better than to make a mistake." 

He sighed as he stared down at her. "It makes no sense, Miss Granger. Why keep up a lie for so long? I understand one date. I understand this dinner even. But I don't claim to understand why you had to make up the lie in the first place, nor do I understand or even see logic in keeping this lie going for much longer." 

She frowned and looked away from him. Severus felt a bit guilty, but knew that he was speaking rationally. "I know," she said after a moment. "But I had to lie, Severus. I did. There was so much pressure on me to be in a relationship and to get married like all of my others friends. Everyone knew that I had plenty of male acquaintances; they knew I had plenty of opportunities to obtain a boyfriend, but when I didn't, they made no effort to hide their disappointment. I felt awful, Severus. I felt really terrible about the entire situation. And then I went to work at Hogwarts and the next time I spoke to Elizabeth I started talking about you for some reason. I told her all about your skills as a teacher and before I knew it, I was making up some lie about you cooking me dinner," she paused and ventured to look up at him again, "and it sort of blossomed from there." 

"I see," Severus replied simply, for he was quite unsure as to what he should say. He cleared his throat before asking a question that had been bothering him for the last few minutes. "Why _me_, Miss Granger?" 

She laughed, and unlike her normal laughter, it was not a sound of joy. He could hear the pain in it, and the frustration as well. "Isn't it quite obvious, Severus?" 

He frowned. "I wouldn't have asked if it were." 

She laughed again and it had the same hollow sound. "I like you, Severus. Very much." 

He continued to frown. He liked her too, but that wouldn't induce him to make up lies about a relationship between them. "I don't understand." 

"No," she said, her tone rather cold. "I suppose you wouldn't. You don't seem to have much practice in the way of relationships." 

Severus took a step backwards as if her verbal strike had actually been a tangible force. He noticed that her expression changed immediately as she saw his movement and suddenly she was again stepping towards him. "I'm so sorry, Severus," she said quickly, reaching her hand out to him. 

"I think you have said quite enough, Miss Granger," he replied, addressing her with the tone he would have used on a student. It was cold and detached and everything he now needed to be in this situation. 

"But I haven't!" she argued. Severus was surprised to hear her speak back to him. "I haven't," she said again. "Severus, I care for you. I deeply care for you. The time we have spent together this summer has been so enjoyable. I love being in your company. I love…" 

"Good night, Miss Granger," he said quickly, interrupting her as he did not want to hear anything else she had to say. And bending his mind towards Hogsmeade, Severus disapparated from the sidewalk. 


	9. Part Nine

Disclaimer: The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine. I just play with them.

**Part Nine**

Severus found that he could avoid Miss Hermione Granger quite easily. All that he had to do was slightly adjust his habits. Firstly, he began by taking his meals alone in his dungeon. This eliminated almost all of the occasion he had for socializing with her. In the comfort of his dungeons, he no longer had to listen to Dumbledore's twittering or McGonagall going on about her trip to Egypt to study ancient cat worship or Hermione giggling every three seconds. 

Secondly, he decided to not listen to Dumbledore and would not take him up on any of the suggestions he made. When Dumbledore said that the weather was particularly pleasant and the grounds looked particularly lovely, Severus knew better than to accompany him on his walk. When Dumbledore stated that certain females were missing his company at mealtimes, Severus ignored him. And when Dumbledore asked if he had spoken to Miss Granger, Severus replied that he had not recently had that pleasure, making sure to infuse his voice with as much sarcasm as possible. 

Severus had also taken to frequenting the library at odd hours. He would go very early in the morning to conduct any research. He rarely consulted the books within the confines of that room, often bringing them back with him to his dungeon. He found he easily managed to avoid running into Hermione there by doing this, and was only once nearly seen by her. He had been able to get away unseen, though, and no harm had come of it. 

But despite the fact that Severus had managed to avoid seeing Hermione during the day, he soon found that he could not escape her at night. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he dreamt of her. His dreams varied in scope from the very lewd to the very tender, but they were too frequent for his liking. He dreamed about her eyes, her hands, her hair, her laughter; he dreamed about the way she had looked up at him that night of the wedding; he dreamed about what he might have heard had he let her continue to speak that night on the street. 

He found the dreams to be very disconcerting, and reacted to them as if they were nightmares. He was unable to fall asleep again after awaking from them. He did not want to close his eyes and see her staring back at him. 

Dumbledore continued to come every morning to sit in Severus's easy chair and speak with him. They talked about the weather, mostly, and as the school year drew nearer, they began to speak about the incoming students, the ones who were returning, and whether or not Slytherin had much of a chance for the house cup. 

Severus was no fool, though, and knew quite well what Dumbledore was after. So during all conversations, Severus kept his gaze decidedly fixed on his lap and answered Dumbledore's questions as shortly and perfunctorily as possible. Dumbledore was not to be discouraged, though, and kept coming day after day to speak with him.   
  
Dumbledore had come and gone on the first of August before ten o'clock. Severus, who had been suffering from headaches for the past few days, had decided to return to bed after he had said good bye to the headmaster, and had been lying, quite peacefully, for half an hour when someone knocked on his door. 

At first, Severus thought he had been dreaming as the knock was very faint. He'd stared at the door with one eye for a few moments when he heard it again, much louder and far less timid. Severus sat up in bed and raked one hand through his hair, hoping to make it look slightly presentable. "Come in," he called. 

The door opened a few seconds later and, very hesitantly, Hermione Granger stepped into his room. 

Severus did not want to acknowledge the flood of emotions that accompanied her sudden appearance, but he felt he was unable to ignore them. There was, at first, sheer delight in seeing her beautiful face, followed quickly by concern when he saw her cheeks were tear stained and flushed, and that her eyes were reddened and rather puffy. After his concern came confusion, proceeded by embarrassment, and succeeded by a strong resolution to be cold and indifferent towards her. 

"Miss Granger," he said softly, hearing the steel in his voice and hoping she did, too. He thought by her sudden flinch that she'd heard, and he was pleased. She would not take him for a play thing, again. She would not lead him on and make him believe himself to be in love with her. He would stand up for himself this time and would do her no more favors, no matter how badly he wanted to take care of her and kiss away her tears. 

"Severus," she replied quietly as she stepped further into his chambers and closed the door behind her. "The headmaster said you were awake, so I did not think I would be disturbing you if I came to visit." 

He cleared his throat. "As you can well see, Miss Granger, I had gone back to bed after the headmaster left." 

"Yes," she replied. He noticed that he gaze never wavered and she held his quite steadily. "I see that." 

"To what do I owe this pleasure then?" Severus asked, pulling back his covers and extracting himself from his bed. He moved quickly to where his dressing gown was hanging and grabbed it down, wrapping it around his body as quickly as possible. His pajamas were not by any means revealing, but he felt insecure in them nonetheless. 

"I received a letter from my mother," Hermione said as he turned to face her. 

"Indeed?" Severus asked, walking past her towards the easy chairs and settling himself into one. "And what of it?" 

"Well," Hermione began, following him and sitting in the seat across from him. "She wrote about you." 

"Did she now? And why did she do that, Miss Granger?" 

He saw her cheeks flush, and for the first time since she had entered his chambers, she directed her gaze to the floor. "Elizabeth told her about the dinner we had at their home. She told her that she thought it was very likely that we might soon be married. My mother told Elizabeth that she had no idea that I'd had a boyfriend and when Elizabeth told mother your name, she was very surprised." 

Severus nodded though she did not see him. "Amazed and disgusted that the slimy git of a potions professor had captured her darling daughter's heart?" 

"No," Hermione replied, looking up at him. "Quite pleased." 

Severus did not respond. He did not know what to say. No one could be pleased about such a thing. The general public viewed him as scum, even after his contributions to the war. Too many had been taught by him and too many knew that he was, first and foremost, a bastard. He was a cruel, cold, angry man; none of his other characteristics mattered much to anyone, for none of them outshone his most prominent and most disagreeable ones. 

"Are you surprised?" Hermione questioned. 

"Very," he responded. "I imagine you told her what a horrible man I am when you were a child. Most parents do not forget the evil men who torment their children." 

"You never tormented me, Severus," she replied in a very soft voice. 

He sneered at her. "I remember a few points in your schooling career in which I was very rude and very cold to you, Miss Granger. Did they not cause you to run up to your rooms and write a letter to mummy about the mean old professor Snape?" 

He was amazed to see her simply smile at him. "My mother and father would like to meet you, Severus." 

"No, Hermione. They'd like to meet your boyfriend. They'd like to meet the man everyone is convinced will soon propose marriage to you," he paused to frown. "They certainly have no interest in meeting _me_." 

Hermione cleared her throat. "To be quite frank, you are my boyfriend, Severus." 

For a moment, Severus was convinced he had swallowed his tongue. "Excuse me?" 

"Well we may not be very physical, but we certainly do other things as couples would. Before your sudden removal to the dungeons, we used to socialize quite frequently. We went out together. We even hugged on occasion. And despite your awful propensity to call me 'Miss Granger,' you've treated me quite nicely. It was as if you had feelings for me. And as well guarded as you think you are Severus, there are chinks in your armor. Eventually, it was not that difficult to confirm my suspicions and see that you reciprocated the feelings I have for you." 

"Which are?" he asked with every effort in making his tone as indifferent as possible. 

"Love, I believe, is the right term for them, Professor. Feelings of love." 

He felt his mouth drop open, and he made no effort to close it. Yes, he was gawking at her and yes, he would catch a few flies, but the woman had just confessed to being in love with him. What was more, she confessed to knowing that he was in love with her. But how could she have known? Was she a Legilimens? Or had he mistakenly looked Dumbledore in the eye and provided the old man with information to share with her? 

Her grin grew in size. "I will take your silence as an affirmation of your feelings, then." 

He tried to answer but was only capable of responding with a few stuttering noises in gibberish. Hermione laughed at this and stood from her seat. "I am going to write to my parents and tell them that we won't be able to make it out to visit them for a few weeks." She walked back to the door and opened it. "I'll leave the next step to you, Professor. Come and find me when you are ready to take that step." 

She walked out into the hall and closed the door behind her, leaving Snape to gawp at it. 


	10. Part Ten

Disclaimer: The characters, settings, etc. of the Harry Potter series are not mine. I just play with them.

**Part Ten**

Severus did not know exactly how long he stared at the door before Dumbledore came rushing into his rooms. 

"Well, my boy!" Dumbledore exclaimed, throwing himself into the seat Hermione had vacated earlier. "What will you do now?" 

Severus narrowed his eyes at the old man and stood from his chair. "What did you tell her?" he hissed. "I made a point not to look at you, Albus, so how the hell did you manage to discover my feelings for her?" 

Dumbledore chuckled in response. "You're terribly obvious, Severus. Hermione told me about the looks you've given her and some of the things you've said. She highly suspected you were in love with her, and all that I did was confirm it." 

Severus sighed and began pacing before the fire. He ran a hand across his forehead and sighed once more before speaking. "What should I do?" 

"What did she say to do?" the headmaster asked, grinning up at his employee. 

"She said I had to take the next step and to find her when I was ready to do so," Severus replied. 

"Well, are you ready yet?" Dumbledore asked. 

"Of course not!" Severus snapped at him. "Do I look ready? I haven't showered yet, I am still wearing pajamas, and I have no idea what to say to her. I mean," he stopped pacing to look at the headmaster, "what do you say to a woman like that? What can you possibly say to a woman who is so intelligent and beautiful and wonderful? She'd see straight through any lies or lines or whatever else I could come up with." 

"Why don't you tell her the truth then?" Dumbledore replied. 

"Oh? Yes, that _does_ sound lovely. 'Listen Hermione, I know I am a cruel bastard with a shady past, but I do love you. I know it sounds completely implausible that such a cold and evil man could be capable of love, but it's true!'" Severus sneered at the old man. "She'll just laugh." 

The headmaster shook his head. "I am afraid you are mistaken, Severus. When it comes to your feelings about her, Miss Granger is quite serious. In all the times we have discussed the matter, she has never once laughed." 

Severus narrowed his eyes. "In all the times?" 

Dumbledore smiled. "I would simply tell her the truth, Severus." He paused as he stood from his chair and made his way to the door. "I do believe muggles have a lovely saying regarding truth. They seem to believe it capable of setting one free." 

Frowning, Severus fell into the seat he had previously vacated. "Muggles are fools." 

Laughing, the headmaster left the room. Severus sat in silence for a few moments, contemplating his next actions. He would, of course, have to take a shower and shave. He would have to dress himself. And then, he would have to find the right words. He sighed as he got up and walked towards his bathroom. This would be one of the most difficult tasks he'd ever undertaken.   
  
One shower, three outfits, and an hour and a half later, Severus stood outside Hermione's door. Armed with flowers from Sprout's green house and a mental list of points to discuss, he knocked on the door. 

When she opened the door, though, the list fled his mind taking with it all of his courage. "Severus," she said smiling at him and eyeing the flowers. "What a pleasant surprise." 

"These are for you," he said, shoving the daisies at her. 

She took them from him and smiled. "Won't you come in?" she asked as she turned and walked into her rooms. Severus followed her in and was surprised to see that there had been a few changes made since he was last there. Where the table had been, there was now a small couch. And the two chairs that had sat at the table had been turned into comfortable easy chairs that resembled his own. 

She settled herself into one of these chairs, resting the flowers in her lap. She looked up at him expectantly. "Are you going to sit down?" 

"No," Severus replied hastily, shaking his head. "I'd prefer to stand." 

"Certainly," she said, smiling at him. It was rather a rather encouraging look, Severus thought, and imagined it was much like the one she must give her students. "So do you have anything to tell me? Or are you just here because you find the situation on the fifth floor better for stalking around, and you thought you should drop in while you were in the neighborhood?" 

Severus sneered. "I have a rather important matter to discuss with you." 

"Then get on with it," Hermione said. She had continued to smile, but the grin had changed a bit. It now looked eager and excited. 

Severus took a deep breath and dove in. "I feel the need to confess that my feelings for you are a bit beyond those of the professional realm. When you first asked me to go with you to the wedding, I believe I regarded you in the way I should. I respected you as a talented witch who, though quite pretty, would never be more than a colleague to me." He paused and cleared his throat, hoping it would have some effect on the sudden dryness plaguing his mouth. "When we attended the wedding, after shopping at Gladrags and spending a bit of time together, I found that I could easily admit to myself that you were quite amiable. And after the discussion I had with Elizabeth, I decided upon your being quite beautiful, as well." 

He stopped for a moment to refocus his attention on her expression. She was still smiling at him, and he could see that her eyes were shining. As she had made no movement to throw the flowers in his face or demand he leave at once, he supposed he was doing all right with this little confessional. Clearing his throat again, he decided to push on. 

"The feelings I have for you, Hermione, are much more serious than friendship. It frightens me that I am capable of such feelings because it does make me incredibly vulnerable. I don't think I realized that I love you until you pointed it out yourself. But it's true. And Albus said that I could do no wrong if I simply told you the truth." Severus took a deep breath before continuing, realizing that he was beginning to ramble. "Therefore, Hermione, I must tell you that I love you dearly, and that these weeks of avoiding you have been hell for me. So, to make up for this separation, I must ask you to spend as much time as humanly possible with me for the next couple of days." He paused. "Please." 

Hermione laughed as he finished and standing from her chair, closed the short distance between them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close to her. "I think I could manage," she said and he heard her sniffling against his chest. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, bringing a hand to rest on top of her head and tangle in her hair. 

"Nothing," she replied. She pulled away slightly, leaving her arms around his waist and looking up at him. "I'm really happy. That's all." 

"Me too," he replied, smiling down at her. She smiled back, and suddenly, Severus realized he was leaning towards her slowly. Her hands moved quickly to reach behind his head and speed up the process. Severus laughed as she pulled his face down to hers and began kissing him. 

He reveled in the feel of her lips pressing against his. He had never felt anything more wonderful than her mouth on his and her tongue slipping between his lips. He thought he might die soon; he thought too much good was coming to him, for he felt luckier in this moment than he had in all of his life. Severus continued to kiss her for awhile before gently pulling away. "You must allow me to breathe occasionally, Miss Granger," he whispered softly, planting a light kiss on her nose. 

"Sorry," Hermione replied a bit breathlessly. 

"I forgive you this time, but I have no interest in having it happen again." He brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead, kissing the spot where it had rested. 

"Never again, Professor. I promise." she replied, again capturing his lips with her own. She released them a few seconds later and pulled out of his grasp. "But where does this put us exactly Severus?" Hermione asked as she took a couple steps away from him. 

"What do you mean?" Severus asked, trying not to focus on her slightly swollen bottom lip. 

"I mean, are we a couple now? Or have we just become engaged? Where do we stand?" 

Severus, who had stopped breathing when she'd mentioned engagement, coughed and sputtered a few moments before finally answering. "We are not engaged!" 

Hermione smiled. "Then we are a couple?" 

"Yes," Severus nodded, smiling back at her. "We are a couple. A couple of what, exactly, I do not know." 

Hermione laughed and stepped forward to take his hand in hers. "We are a couple of people who are madly in love, and that's all that matters really." 

Severus grinned down at the beautiful woman before him. "I quite agree." 

**The End**

_Note: Thanks for all of the reviews. I hope you've enjoyed the story. Thanks very much for reading. _


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